Promise
by Santoryuu Soccer
Summary: Escaped and lost at sea, he stumbles upon a slave-driven bridge with a certain raven haired woman admist it. As they reunite with their Nakama, something between them sparks, and they end up beside each other once more. Post-seperation of the Straw Hats.
1. Chapter 1: Foreshadowing Promise

**Author: Santoryuu Soccer**

**Pairing: Zoro x Robin**

**Chapter words: 2,500 approx.**

This story will be a pure romance but there will be action and adventure included to help along plot development and the overall fill of the story as an explanation to events that readers may not/have not read about. I changed/will change things and plots of the original to better suit my story, therefore the need of explanations. For this chapter, though, I've decided to slow down a bit and take time to wrap up some things that I think would be ideal for the real anime/manga and present it to you, readers, though they may not be very rational. My promise to you, the next chapter will move along much swifter and with a decent pace, very unlike this one.

For the sake of this story, we will assume that the island Robin has been sent to, Tequila Wolf, rather than residing in East Blue, will magically happen to be in the Grand Line where Zoro is, and that the Revolution army hadn't arrived at Tequila Wolf to free the slaves -as seen in the cover of Chapter 546- and she had only just yet made her escape -as seen in the cover of Chapter 545-. :D

**Rated T for language because Zoro and Sanji swear like shit, and violence, blood, and death. If you're not comfortable with cussing, I suggest you not read this. All the following resources belong to their respective owners. I do not own any of these characters, places, and/or some parts of the plot.**

**My big thanks to Kaoden for helping me review this story and sharing tips with me ;D.**

* * *

_**Foreshadowing Promise**_

The enraged shriek of a banshee echoed from within the secluded castle, and the seemingly guilty figure in the shadows outside turned its back against the noise, an expressionless look on his face. His moss-green hair swayed silently to the rhythm of the wind, and his three dangling earrings clinked against one another. There was another reassuring crash from the building, and the swordsman smirked. "I finally got away from that crazy witch."

Roronoa Zoro had been stranded out on the island for more days than he had fingers, and, not once, until now, had he not been watched by the little witch or one of her ghosts. She had been lonely, as she had said, and longed servants, or _**a**_ servant at the very least, but Zoro wasn't quite the type to raise his flag without a fight – even when she ran dozens of her negative ghost through him. In the end, he stubbornly agreed to her terms who made a simple but efficient deal with him that, in Zoro's eyes, actually ended up benefiting himself much more, but, at the same time, kept her happy.

He had to admit, though she was a freaking annoying brat, she had powers that complimented his, strangely enough, and he had learned something that he _still_ couldn't quite understand, but knew on instinct that is was somehow going to be important, despite all the effort she went through to explain it to him. The thought of the Pacifista having sent him to her intentionally had even crossed his mind momentarily, but he didn't care for that, as long as he would get stronger because of it, he would be satisfied.

_**Flashback**_

"I have to train," grunted Zoro, in reply to her demands, through the opening in the poorly wrapped bandages around his head.

"Wha- Excuse me?" she cried, her voice raising to an unnecessary level.

"I have to train," repeated Zoro the exact same way.

"Are you kidding with me? I don't know who you think you are, but to talk to me in that way-"

"Look, kid, I don't care about that. I'm going to train and then get the hell out of here and back to my ship as soon as I can," he said, cutting her short, "I don't care for you or what happens to you when I'm gone."

Just when she was about to protest to his rude manners, he turned his head toward her, and, without a warning, opened one eye abruptly - his demonic killing intent spilled out of him uncontrollably, and a strong blast of spiritual energy rammed the Gothic Lolita girl into the cracking wall, semi-unconscious, her legs buckled dangerously underneath her. She fought with her complete might to simply stay on the conscious level, much less trying to keep her composure. Her knees sunk slowly and finally contacted the ground with a soft _thud_.

"What... intense Haki," she gasped when it was all over.

She sat motionless, and possibly paralyzed, for several more minutes until she finally regained some of her composure.

_Even though his Haki is levels beyond anything I've experience, it doesn't seem like this dumbass has the slightest idea on how to control it yet, after all, it doesn't take much to scare a simple girl like me, and yet, he went all out to do it._

"Horohorohoro, it seems like you're not just all talk. Though I despise disrespectful people like you, you may not be so bad after all. I'll make you a deal, I can help you with your Haki, but, in return, you must serve me to my _every last word_!" she said, more a command than a question, stretching the last three words unnecessarily.

"...Haki?"

_**End flashback**_

Zoro scratched his head, a slight frown on his face – something animate clawed as his boots, and he stepped on it without a glance. Within five minutes of being out of the castle, he had already gotten himself lost in the woods, cutting through everything he saw in hope of finding something, not exactly having a plan in mind.

The thought to escape while the little witch was desperately trying to find her stuffed animal was too enticing for him to simply let go, so he acted on moment's notice and jumped out the window with his swords in hand. He had wandered away from the castle for as far as he could, had come across this forest, and now he was here. Here. In the middle of nowhere. Stranded and guided only by his horrible sense of direction. Here, separated from his Nakama.

_Mah, I wonder if they're alright. How the hell am I supposed to find them again anyway?_

He craned his neck slightly toward the left, a scowl masking his face, where he heard the movement of leaves, to see a green snake protruding towards Zoro, but that was beyond the point - behind the snake stood a large clearing amidst the thick forest, a vertical drop, and then a view of the entire island at sunset.

He didn't particularly care for the sight itself, which would have knocked out anyone else from its sheer beauty, but he had spotted something small, floating atop the crashing waves of the sea, within the reach of shore. It was a boat. From where he stood, it looked barely large enough to hold 2 people on at the same time, but it was only him that was going to be traveling on it, and frankly, he didn't care if it was as large as a warship, or as small as a dinghy - as long as it worked.

He walked toward the clearing and stopped directly before the drop. He peered down and scratched his head. The drop was at the very least... well... high. Zoro didn't know his metric systems, or math at all to be frank, but he hadn't needed it, until now, as a swordsman.

His gaze fell upon the safe cushion of trees below, and without hesitation, he leaped into the vast ocean of air, the wind pushing fiercely against his decision to do so. His clothes pressed tightly to his fore body, and an open smile, unlike his usual smug smirk, slowly crawled onto his face, taking in the scenery for the first time. His hands wandered to the hilts of his swords at his side, feeling a unusual flow of satisfying energy from Wadou Ichimonji.

When was the last time his blade had given off that feeling? The memory was still a fresh scar in his memory. It was the last battle with Kuina, the night his dream sprouted, the day where the shadow of death fell upon her – that was the only other time, though it wasn't in his hands yet then, he had felt its radiating energy even meters away from it – from her.

As he suddenly began his rapid drop, he peered down into the trees in search of something he could grab hold of, but couldn't distinguish anything aside from green beyond the clouds of leaves. He plunged through the canopy of the trees, branches clawing and cutting unmercifully into his body. Only, when he was basically already at the ground, did he see a thick branch in the way of his drop. He reached out with his left arm and took a firm hold on it.

The sudden stop of motion nearly ripped Zoro's own arm off as he dangled in the air, the branch bending dangerously under his weight. A slight crack was heard from the rear of the branch, and without a second to waste, using only his left arm, he hurled himself above and beyond the unstable branch, airborne once again. Tarzan-like he began his way toward the shore, swinging from tree to tree, but then he stopped abruptly.

_Which way was it again?_

_**Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Grand Line, a ruckus irrupts in the Country of Labour...**_

****"Where did Nico- prisoner 3926 go?" shouted a guard down the long empty hallway of the domiciles when he found the cell empty and the door creaking open.

"Ah, that woman? She stole the keys of the guard on duty before yours, and escaped long ago," replied the man in the cell opposite of the empty one, casually. "You're a bit late, they've already sent half the troops in this place in search of her. Apparently she had appeared out of nowhere and was sent here for no reason, that's why they are so desperate to find her again, am I right, Mr. Guard?"

The guard shot the beat-down man a look of annoyance, but there was a slight smile on his face, as if to thank the prisoner in secret, and then took off down the hall, hands at his gun holster.

"Looks like not all prisoners and guards here are cold-hearted," laughed the man to himself, and turned around on his bed to face the wall. "Looks like some have crazy personalities along with that."

* * *

Zoro splashed through the shallow waters toward the slowly drifting sailboat. From afar it had seemed small, but upon a closer look, it was actually quite a fair bit larger; but nonetheless still only just enough for 2 people at maximum.

He took hold of the thin gunwale of the boat and dragged it to shore with himself before it got out of reach, the waves forcefully crashing onto its hull. With one last forceful pull, he dragged it onto the arid sand, preventing it from washing away, and sank down beside it. He untied his sweat-soaked bandana from his head and shoved it into his muddy pants - his hand slightly brushed something inside his pocket. He drew out the thin object slowly and stared at it in disbelief.

_Shit. Why didn't I think of this before?_

It was the vivre card the old man Rayleigh had given each of the Strawhats in case they got separated and couldn't find their ship again after the coating.

_**Flashback**_

"I'm a wanted man myself, you know. I think I'll be taking your ship somewhere else to work on it," said the old man, and produced a piece of paper from his pocket.

"That's... a vivre card," stated Robin.

"Oh, you know about them? That makes things quicker," replied Rayleigh. He ripped the large sheet into 9 different pieces, and presented one to each of the members.

"So, yeah, Zoro, here's how you use the card..." began Chopper, holding up his vivre card.

"I know how to use it! Shaddap!" snapped Zoro, his face flushing red in, what he hoped at least was, anger.

_**End flashback**_

Zoro scowled and a vein popped on his forehead. He had absolutely no idea how to use it. He held it up to the sinking sun and felt a familiar tingling movement between his fingers. He had seen Nami use it with Lola's mother's card in Thriller Bark, but he had been standing too far away at the time to see any details, and, to be honest, he didn't give a shit about it either, at the time.

Zoro mimicked her and placed it on his palm, immediately feeling the shuffling sensation in his palm again. Upon a closer look, he saw that the paper was trying to move, but his rough and worn hands made it difficult for it to climb across his scars and callouses.

"All I have to do is follow this thing, eh?" he guessed and ran his free hand through his short hair. "Even I won't get lost with this."

He could almost hear Usopp in his mind, "are you trying to jinx yourself?!".

"I hope everyone thought of this," he muttered as Luffy's stupid grin filled his head. He peered over the horizon to where the card was shuffling, the sun nearly completely sunken.

"Yosh. Let's go." Zoro pushed the boat onto the water.

He laid his three katanas toward the front of the vessel, and stepped into it with his left leg – the boat wobbled unsteadily under his weight. Zoro hesitated slightly before stepping into the boat with his other leg while pushing off the shore simultaneously. The little sailboat rocked dangerously in response, and just about threw Zoro back into the shallow water, but the swordsman had a firm grip on the sides. He slightly guided the vessel into the direction the vivre card was moving with the beaten down oars of the ship, and then sat back and leaned on the hull, leaving the rest to the wind.

Drowsiness overcame him quickly and he found himself beginning to doze off unknowingly. Before long the familiar innocent feeling came over him and his own snoring could be heard, but gradually became further and more distance.

The wind picked up suddenly and the first drop of rain was heard with a slight_ plit _as it contacted the young swordsman's forehead and unavoidably split into million different crystals. The beginning of the storm was near, the single drop turning into a drizzle, the drizzle turning into a shower, and Zoro still completely unawarely drifting into a bottomless dream. There was a flash so bright it illuminated heaven itself, followed by the deafening crash of a God casting his judgment upon the sinful world in which they lived.

* * *

Some and certain phrases from Robin, but mostly Zoro, are taken directly from the anime/manga translation and should not sound OOC, though both Zoro, most of the time actually, to be completely honest, and Robin have a playful side of them, so please do keep that in mind while reading Zoro and/or Robin fanfics :D.

Pace is very slow, and I'm sorry for that. Since Oda hasn't brought any of the Strawhats back, I thought that if I didn't explain this to you, the readers, you wouldn't quite understand what would be going on in later chapters. I also realize that there's quite a bit of OOC actually, and this was written quite a long time ago as well (started during the time I was still writing Breath of All Things) so the next chapter might be a bit different than this one, since I change styles to experiment quite a bit. I didn't feel like uploading it immediately after writing it, for reasons you shall not know ;D, but now that I have the second chapter done too, I might just as well do it. I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think, because I guess I'm still wondering if I should write chapter 3, since I'm sort of interested in ANOTHER project that I'm working on right now too, haha.

FAQ:

None yet, feel free to submit questions via e-mail, PM, or review. :D


	2. Chapter 2: Awaited Nakama

**Author: Santoryuu Soccer**

**Pairing: Zoro x Robin**

**Chapter words: 2,300 approx.**

Hmm... What can I say about this chapter? Things are finally moving along and the real and sole purpose of the story will actually begin next chapter, so I hope you can run beside me as I tackle these sparks of Writer's blocks that happen to me at random. Really, I tried a different style for this chapter (and semi-last chapter as well), and I'm not sure if it's a positive change. I mean, of course, if this were a real novel, this style of writing would be much more appreciated for adults, but as a fan-fiction for youth, I'm not quite sure if this is the right way to move. I wouldn't say the writing is more sophisticated, as I think that's a ridiculous word, but the more audience-approving style for OP fan-fics are usually short, sweet sentences with less detail of action and more talking. Anyway, getting too off-topic (if possible), and I'd love to hear you opinion on this ;D. Of course I want to be original, so, I think I'll leave this for you readers to decide which you like more. Without further ado, I present to you (have you ever noticed that that rhymes? XD) CHAPTER TWO of PROMISE.

* * *

_**Awaited Nakama**_

"Quick! The storm's getting closer! Find that woman before it gets out of hand!" screamed the jail commander over the already scurrying guards.

There were whispers of disapprovement and annoyance amongst the guards as they failed to see what one woman had that so greatly exceeded the importance of hundreds of guards' safety, but a crack of a whip and the following of a blood-curling scream silenced the commotion and they, once again, began searching silently.

* * *

A heavy wave crashed onto the hull of the small boat, and sorely woke the green-haired swordsman from his deep sleep. A vast amount of debris had found it's way into the ship during the time Zoro had been asleep, but he, of course, hadn't even begun realizing it.

He rubbed the sleep from his right eye casually, his lower lip sticking out slightly; annoyed at whatever had woken him from his very much needed sleep. He stared through his left eye that still blurred from exhaustion, and finally took in his surroundings for the first time.

"A storm?" he finally asked after a long moment of blankness.

He stretched out his sore legs inside the boat, and, on instinct, his hands wandered to his katana at his side. All three still were still there, but the joyful energy from Wadou from before had now ceased and was replaced by a rather unsatisfying emotion from the sword.

Zoro held it up to his face, frowning slightly. Normally people wouldn't have thought much of it, hell, they probably couldn't even feel it in the first place, but his swords were a part of him – always had been and would be. They'd always been loyal and have never been wrong or deceiving to Zoro, and he wondered if they were possibly warning him of danger.

He reached into his now soaked pockets and pulled out the completely dry vivre card. It was moving toward his two o'clock position, and he figured that the storm had pulled him slightly off-course during his nap. He was just about to reach for the oars when suddenly something straight ahead caught his eye. It was hard to make it out through the thick fog and the pouring rain, but he saw... a deck and pillars.

"A bridge?" he looked closer, but a sudden gust of wind rocked his ship dangerously. There was another lightning flash that inverted the darkness of the sky, and was followed by a rather close _boom_ not shortly after.

"Looks like that's my only choice," he shrugged and leaned back. "Maybe there's a town with a decent bar."

* * *

A shadowy figure in the dark moved silently out of the shallow waters of the river and stepped onto the first foundation, the foot, of the bridge that loomed mockingly above. She looked back slowly and then leaned against the large pillar, letting down her guard for the first time in days. In reality, even she, of all people, had lost track on how long she had been on the island. Her estimate was nowhere short of at least ten days, however, and they hadn't exactly been pleasant ones at that. Laboring all day wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but luckily she had hid her book during the body check and it had remained unfound to this moment – well, by the guards at least. She was fully aware that the other prisoners had taken a keen notice on her for the past days, most likely wondering why she was so guarded by the jail wardens throughout the day. Among one of the other prisoners stood a rather quite interesting one whose cell stood directly opposite of hers. He had observed her closely and was the first, aside from the wardens, to realize who she was.

_**Flashback**_

"Nico Robin, was it?"

Robin's eyes wandered slightly to the man in the cell across of her from over her book.

"What is a woman worth 80,000,000 Beri doing somewhere like here? Have you, perhaps, separated from your nakama?"

"Yes, that would indeed be the case, prisoner-san. Have you, perhaps, taken up the priority to research about me in your free time?"

The young man folded his hands together under his chin. "My, my. What a scary woman as they say."

A glint of something dark shimmered in Robin's eyes, and he knew that he got her full attention. "Just kidding, but a woman such as yourself must have noticed by now that I'm no ordinary man, I assume."

She placed down her book carefully and then crossed her legs.

"Do continue, revolutionist-san."

The man let out an amusing laugh, "What gave me away?"

"Your wanted name and picture was mentioned quite often in the newspaper while I was in Water 7. What are you doing here, instead of preparing for the war with Whitebeard and the world government?"

"Ah, you seem to leave nothing unnoticed. As for the reason of my presence here... Being here_ is_ preparing for the war in essence."

"You plan to free the prisoners."

"Correct, but I know that _you_ cannot possibly wait that long. I've read every single article there is about you and your crew, Nico. Such as the one with Kuma in Sabaody Archipelago – Of course, the newspaper didn't know about the incidence; I got it from a reliable source."

"And who may that source be?"

"The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh. After learning that you were here from me, I received a request as a friend from him..."

"When is the next guard's duty?"

The man chuckled. "You've got it all, woman."

_**End flashback**_

Robin knew she couldn't risk being seen by going back onto shore to find a boat, so she decided to stay hidden until the storm was over; or at the very least not as strong. She untied the remains of the dingy rope on her right wrist and rubbed her skin.

Only hours after her appearance there, even before the man in the opposite cell had noticed – or shown that he noticed, had they found out that she was _the_ Nico Robin – the devil child wanted by the world government itself. Since then they higher-up's attitude towards her made a complete turn, and they began keeping a very close eye on her at all times. Fortunately she had made her move before it was rather too late - when the marines showed up to claim her. She could only imagine the panic they were in at this moment. Asking for a warship to come to the middle of the Grand-line when the war between Whitebeard and the world government was bound to happen at any moment _and_ have it being a false alarm would have very serious consequences on their part. But, nonetheless, it had nothing to do with her anymore.

"Hey! I think I see someone on the foot in the river!"

"Oi, I think you're right!"

Robin pressed herself against the cement column as more guards began crowding around the shore. It was only a matter of time before they began sending out ships or sailboats to her. It was lucky for her the waves and water level of the river had picked up suddenly after her own landing.

As if on cue, a group of guards scurried away from the shore, toward the main base. Something from off the distance caught Robin's eye suddenly. A sail. It probably wasn't as far away as it seemed; the heavily setting fog only made it appear so. But, nonetheless, this had to be her last chance. It seemed to be moving closer at a decent pace, and likely had enough time to get to her before the guards did. She'd hitch a ride to an out-of-eye-shot place and then pursuit after Silvers Rayleigh – that is, if whoever was sailing the boat in this ridiculous weather allowed her so. If he refused, she could always threaten the man with her powers, after all, that was nothing new to her.

* * *

"Ha?"

Zoro squinted into the distance. There was a large crowd of people swarming around the shore of the river and were seemingly staring at something off into the distance of the river. A sudden shout of command rung through the moist air, and some of them broke free and scurried up the hill hastily. Zoro followed their glance and laid his eyes upon a barely visible figure on the foot of the bridge. He reached for his swords and clipped them into his haramaki. Something about this scene told him that there was going to be a fight. He smirked menacingly – he was finally going to get some action aside from doing damned chores.

As the overflowing waves pushed his boat closer, voices began reaching Zoro. It was just a small swarm of whispers at first, but within moments, he could almost make out full conversations.

"Devil fruit woman?" he repeated to himself, and raised an eyebrow. There weren't many devil fruit users out there, much less women who used them, and he wondered if it was another pirate he'd met before.

The fog began clearing and the single figure on the rock became completely clear to Zoro. He stared at it expressionless, when suddenly-- "_**Robin!?...**_"

Zoro jumped to his feet and took a step in the narrow boat. The vessel lurched and rocked uncontrollably under his sudden shift of movement and the strong waves that crashed merciless into the hull. "Shit... what's that woman doing?" he swore under his breath.

He took in his surroundings briefly, re-secured his swords, and then plunged into the dark waters. Darkness overwhelmed him suddenly and below freezing waters enveloped his body. His body began numbing and he gasped for air, only to suck in a mouthful of water. His consciousness began to waver uncertainly, and his body succumbed to the natural forces of the sea. Pulling out the last drop of his strength, he took grasp of his sword's hilt, unsheathed it, and plunged the blade deep into his left shoulder. The excruciating pain woke him on his deathbed and the blood that stained the waters shook him to his senses again. He felt his lungs being crushed under the pressure, his loss of control on his body, and his lack of direction going into overdrive, but he didn't come so far to die such a shameful death. He rested his bloodied hand onto his katana that protruded from his shoulder, and drew out his power of meditation – casting aside pain and clearing his mind. He pulled the blade out forcefully and clenched it between his teeth – the taste of blood strong inside his mouth. Then, the only last thing he saw before he closed his eyes, was a screen of blood. His own blood.

"Santoryuu... **Tatsumaki!**"

* * *

"What the hell is that?!"

"A-a tornado!...?"

"No, you idiots! Take cover!"

A downpour of a thick wave of rain crashed down like boards of pins on the guards. Some cried out in pain and some guards' fear overtook their physical pain as they gawked unbelievably at the source of the hurricane.

"It's the enemy! He's come for her! Get to Nico Ro- the prisoner before he does, even if it costs you your LIFE!" The bark of order brought the drenched guards back to their senses, even though they were still completely unaware as to why the woman was so important. They scrambled and stumbled over each other frantically and into the little rowboats that had just docked at the shore.

"Lives aren't toys for you to play with."

The haunting whisper drifted through the misty water like the devil's song. For many of the guards, it was the last thing they'd ever hear, and for many, it was the last thing they'd ever see and fear. Nonetheless, the next moment everything was over. Bodies crashed motionless to the ground all around the commander. But the commander still stood in front of Robin, his heart still beating – furiously, but still beating. He was spared. Zoro was going to take his time with him. To make him feel his own words. And then Zoro realized his own mistake.

"Puahaha! You think you can discipline _**me**_?!" the man's eye glistered as he raised his hand. "I'd rather die than be embarrassed by pirates! She's a devil fruit user, right?! Puahahaha! Prepare to drown in your own remorse as you witness your own nakama's death!"

"Seis fleu--"

It was too late. A shove. A falling body. A splash. And then, "_**YOU BASTARD! SHE'S A WOMAN!**_"

Another splash. And then another. Zoro was once again in the churning waters, but this time, in his hand he held the man's head, and in his eyes he held furry. He had never in his life beheaded someone, and he had no idea why he did it now. He had acted on instinct, and he knew he was going to have to meditate a lot more seriously after this.

The white foam of the surface water screened his vision completely. He freed his grasp on the hair of the man, and allowed the waves to carry it to the depths of hell. Saving Robin was his highest priority right now.

From previous experiences with saving Luffy, he'd learned that deeper waters were much calmer – and colder, than the surface ones. He immediately spotted the two orbs of sky blue eyes looking relaxingly into his own as he dove deeper. Zoro reached out his hand, and grabbed the woman's arm. He pulled her to him, wrapped a supportive arm around her, and made his way to the surface, pressing her close to himself.

* * *

You could say the last part counts as romance, and you could argue that it isn't. I mean, that would be the obvious action when saving a nakama, but I tried hinting something in there- whoops, I said to much ;P. I hope you liked this chapter, though I do agree that it's been moving along pretty slow. As a request from Tare-chan, I will include the stories of what all the Straw Hats went through in their own separate little islands, regardless of what Oda's about to reveal to us soon anyway ;D. My schedule for updating is every week from now on, but soccer season is beginning, so... xD. Not sure on what day of the week yet, however xD. You can expect each chapter to be within the 1,800 ~ 3,000 word range.

FAQ:

None yet, feel free to submit questions via e-mail, PM, or review. :D


	3. Chapter 3: Similar Aspirations

**Author: Santoryuu Soccer**

**Pairing: Zoro x Robin**

**Chapter words: 2,300 approx.**

Oh man. This chapter is just... BLEH. I mean, I had originally planned out some very well thought-out and critical ideas for this chapter, but I, more or less, screwed myself over. This chapter is mediocre at best, and I feel as though I just cannot amend it anymore. It is literally flooded with OOCness and pressing repetitions. I am definitely considering on re-writing or heavily editing this piece later on, but for now, I have to get out more chapters for you, readers ;D. Please enjoy regardless.

* * *

_**Similar Aspirations**_

The small dinghy rocked silently on the calm waters of the grand line. The storm had disappeared as quick as it had appeared, and now, not even a glimmer of a darkened cloud was visible. Zoro squeezed the water out of his soaked shirt, and tossed it to the end of the boat.

"I let my guard down," he said irritatedly, and ran a hand through his moist hair. He shifted in his position, allowing his cramping legs to fan out a bit more.

After grabbing Robin, he had dragged her to the surface without really much trouble, but then, when they both thought they were safe, he managed to get lost on the way to the boat that stood directly in front of them. They had wandered in circles around the boat for at least ten freezing minutes, and when he finally raised his head above water to see where they were, the storm had suddenly disappeared. The weather had shifted from disastrous to unbelievably calm within mere seconds, the black clouds replaced by white, and the bright cracks of sunlight were already seeping through. But, even though she may be dying from hypothermia at the moment, he had found one of his nakama in the end, at least, and hadn't made the trip to the bridge in vain.

Zoro craned his head to her direction, and then slightly relaxed when he saw her alert. He had only now remembered that she hadn't even uttered a single word since his coming, and seeing that her eyes were cast off into the distance, in the very least, meant that she wasn't dead. He picked up his dry jacket and somewhat hesitated before pushing it to her direction, his head turned in the other, bottom lip sticking out. "You'll catch a cold."

Robin smiled, "Thank you, Swordsman-san, but 'people who catch colds have weak hearts,' neh?"

Zoro flinched slightly when the memory came back to him. He had told her the exact same thing, and now she was using it against him. The woman was always doing such things. "Even the best will stumble."

"That's not what you had said before, Swordsman-san."

"A man's words may change, but his ambition is set in stone."

"I see." Robin said, and took his worn down jacket from him. "In that case, I will take up your offer."

Robin held back a shiver when the besetting scent of steel reached her nose. It was somewhat nostalgic for her, and, somehow, she felt secure with his jacket.

She turned her head to his direction. "Are we on course?"

The swordsman reached into his pocket and pulled out the familiar vivre card and placed it on his palm. "Yeah," he said and scratched his head, "but the others--"

"Oh, you need not worry about that. They're not stupid people, they will remember eventually."

"Yeah, it'll just take the stupid-ass cook twice as long," Zoro grunted. He leaned back a little and shut his eyes. Before, when he said that there was only room for two on the boat, he wasn't joking, not that he ever really did. There was hardly enough room to shift, much less stretch or sleep in the boat without knocking the woman clean off.

"Swordsman-san?"

Zoro cracked open an eye, a bit irritated. It was something all of the Straw Hats were fully familiar with, most especially the cook, who bothered him much more than anyone else in the crew. They all knew not to screw with him while he was trying to sleep; Nami, even, seemed to back off a bit more about his debts while talking to him when he was in that state. Hell, even Luffy was beginning to catch on, and that, Zoro had to admit, was pretty rare. Well, all except one. It never seem to affect a certain woman in their crew. Not in the least.

"If I recall correctly from going through the crew's journals, that scar you bear was from Hawk-Eye Mihawk, the infamous Shichibukai and swordsman, was is not?" Robin said, tilting her head slightly to his torso.

Zoro didn't look down, nor reply.

"Why, even when you knew you were to lose, did you challenge that man?" Robin rested her chin on her palm. "I've been curious for quite some time, as the journal lacked many details on that fight, and that fight alone. Aside from it, everything else in there seemed perfectly explained and covered, but your incident was rather blatant and, if I didn't know better, incomplete."

"It's my dream kill that man, and Nami wasn't there when it happened," he shrugged.

"Becoming the strongest swordsman in the world; do you not think that will be difficult?"

"I decided long ago," he said," It doesn't matter what anyone else says."

"I see..." Robin smiled and looked down. _You and I are the same_, was what she wanted to say, but she laughed at herself at simply the thought of it. How ridiculous of her.

Zoro, upon noticing her sudden change, tilted his head toward the sky slightly, and mumbled under his breath, "I guess we're the same after all."

It was barely audible, and Zoro turned his head away and closed his eyes once more, unknowing of the woman's smile that followed.

* * *

Rayleigh leaned back on his chair and rested his legs onto the table. There were several empty bottles of rum laying around him, and the reek of smoke was heavy in the air. There was a newspaper in the man's hands. The headline's had never been so large, but this was definitely a worthy title for the occasion: "The War of the New Era Ends". There was large picture underneath all the writing – a grinning boy with a strawhat amidst the chaos of the battlefield alongside Whitebeard.

Rayleigh set the newspaper down and took another drink.

"You bet it on 'a new era', eh, Shanks?"

* * *

The little boat jumped as the swordsman woke with a start. His brows were furrowed and there were streaks of sweat plastered on his face. He clutched his chest tightly with an uncertain hand, and a drop of blood seeped through the corners of his mouth. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand, and swallowed the similar liquid that swished disgustingly inside his mouth.

"Shit, I over slept..." he grunted when his mouth was cleared.

"You slept for a mere twenty minutes," Robin smiled, peering over her book, "You didn't honestly think that I would believe that, right, Swordsman-san?"

Zoro looked at her, a somewhat menacing air around him, but lips curled upwards and a brow raised intriguingly on his face when he got a hold of himself.

"I may have had a nightmare," he smirked, "I forgot."

Of course he didn't expect her to believe that either, nor himself. Even though she had formerly stated herself that her specialty lay in the assassination area when she first joined the crew, it really didn't take long for him to notice her strength within manipulation and interrogation – actually, it struck him when she produced the sack of jewels from Crocodile to Nami, although that may not have been all that impressive...

And he, himself, fully knew what kind of nightmare it was – after all that would only be expected after witnessing it on a daily course. The same exact nightmare that haunted his subconscious at night, and his conscious in the day. It was the reason behind his weak frame and mind, and was the ultimate barrier that separated him from his nakama now – literally.

The dream itself was, really none other than, the accident in Thriller Bark and Sabaody Archipelago. It generally shifted between the two incidents in one dream, but they seemed to grow in intensity every occurring moment, and it even began having direct physical effects on him. In the last moments in Sabaody, everything seemingly slowed down as the cyborg's hand crashed into his side. He had caught the ghastly expressions of his nakama just as he blew away, and the image burned a permanent mark into his brain. The same scene playing over and over and over was just too much to bear- even for him, who was said to have a heart of stone amongst bounty hunters and pirates.

When he first joined Luffy, he told himself that he would never become a burden to the crew, that he would never become a hassle for them, and yet, at his final moments, he dragged them all down with him. If only he were stronger, if only he were to finish the cyborg at Thriller Bark... his Nakama would have been possibly already moving on from Fishman island and setting into the New World – _together_. But instead, he failed them, only able to save his captain, pathetically on his knees and giving his full trust to the Shichibukai on their lives, and now, they were all separated. All because_ he_ became a burden.

_=-=_

Whatever was going through the swordsman's mind, he was good at concealing it, Robin noted. Not that she hadn't noticed before already, but this time around, she was positive something was on his mind, and she had an idea of what, but he, as always, wasn't showing any form of discomfort or weakness at all.

She watched him pick up his shirt, wipe the sweat from his face, and then cross his legs slightly cautious, making sure not to kick her overboard. He went into, what it seemed to her, a meditation position, and Robin watched him secretly, pretending to follow her book and occasionally turning the page, but her heart nowhere near the actual act of reading. His rising chest steadied quickly and a strange wave of peacefulness washed over her as she observed him in silence. His face was, what was now, in the pirate era, hard to find among men, and she felt as if she could stare at it for an eternity without feeling as much as a bore coming in. In fact, she had no idea how much time had passed already, and when the swordsman finally shifter, she darted her eyes back to her book nonchalantly.

"You haven't turned the page for a while," he said, cracking an eye to her direction.

"Yes, I find this page quite interesting, in fact," she smiled.

"_**'**__You didn't honestly think that I would believe that, right, archeologist-san?__**'**_"

He was going to beat the woman at her own game, well, tried at least. It didn't sound nearly as good when his voice cracked at 'archeologist-san', and he barely just choked out the rest of the word. His face turned bright red, and he cleared his throat loudly upon hearing Robin's laughter coming from his side.

"That was rather impressive, Swordsman-san," Robin smiled.

Zoro grunted.

"If you don't mind me asking," she said, "what was it you were doing just now?"

"Mah..." Zoro stopped and scratched his head. He was about to explain the whole story, but then decided against it when he realized that it would take too long. "'Haki training', I guess..."

"Haki?" Robin jolted and called out a bit louder than intended. "So you do possess it, after all. Along with Captain-san, and Cook-san, I had originally noticed that you three had abnormal fighting styles and even began hinting Haki-styled techniques during the time in Enies Lobby."

She smiled slightly, "To think that you are already at the stage of perfecting it this early in your life."

"Haki..." Zoro muttered that word again.

"Can't say I understand it, but that witch managed to teach me how to draw the power out," Zoro said, then added irritatedly, "At a damned high price."

Robin's lips curled slightly as an idea came to her. She would have to thank the revolutionist in the prison later on. "Swordsman-san, what do you say we make a pit stop at a near-by island I recognize?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow slightly. "If you can get us there without getting us lost."

_How ironic, _Robin thought.

"To purchase some extra supplies, and," she said, "To test your Haki."

* * *

See? Did I not tell you? Please give me your honest reviews for this chapter. The only reason I pushed myself to finish this is because I recently just recieved some reviews the re-inspired me ;D, so thank you to those people and all my revieweres. Submit any FAQ or questions you may have via review or PM. Thank you for reading and bearing with all that crap.

FAQ:

Q: "**Where do you get the idea that Zoro is training in Haki? I thought only Luffy had it.**" – TVMaster200

A: Ah, I had a similar question in my previous ZoRo fanfic as well. Good question I must say, however, prepare yourself for a gigantic answer, haha.

Now, to begin, I understand that there has been no direct proof of his Haki possession, and I have also stated earlier that I may make up somethings just to push the story along the interesting side (despite myself being a very strict on no-OOCness and completely-follow-plot person).

But I know that's not your question. "Where do you get the _idea_". Okay, okay, I know I just said 'no direct proof' of him having Haki, but, honestly, I think there's more than enough hints that support the fact that he does or will.

First, I think it's safe to assume that there will be stronger enemies with Devil Fruits in the New World. It's also safe to think that amongst those DF users, there will be many with Logia fruits; honestly, Oda has used most, if not all, of the Paramecium DFs.

Now, the only so-far known weaknesses of Logia DF users are: 1) Their natural element weakness (lighting is weak against rubber), 2) Water/Seastone, and 3) Haki. We've all seen Rayleigh counter Kizaru's attack, right? Now, think; do you honestly think, the future Pirate King's first mate will not possess Haki? Being the strongest swordsman in the world and, as Oda even mentioned once, on par with the soon-to-be Pirate King, and not being able to hit any of the enemies in the New World? I think that's the biggest and most obvious point, because, you have to admit, that's pretty ridiculous. Now, I realize that there's always the possibility that he may learn some other technique that Oda has yet to reveal to us that would allow him to hit Logia users, and I won't go against that, but for now, I think I'll just stick with the Haki idea.

As for why I think he may be training in Haki on that island... Hmm, I'm actually not quite sure. I think I just felt that it fit with Perona's Devil Fruit. Also, since all of the Straw Hats are going to gain some sort of power-up (Franky: Mechanical upgrade, Chopper: Possibly flying point [Due to his current residence], Nami: Weather techniques, Sanji: ???, Robin: She's with the Revolutionary army right now, so we don't know what'll result from that, Usopp: Survival and sharp shooting, Brook: Errr, this is actually quite hard to predict, despite his settings) I thought his location was perfect for it. Also Zoro seems to have that darkness thing going on around him.

Some more hints of his Haki possession:

Zoro's Asura attacks. Haki in literal translation is 'spirit power' or 'ambition'. Using Haki is the only known possible explanation for his nine arms illusion.

Zoro's stare in the anime on Sabaody Archipelago. He scares the shit out of the bounty hunters with a single look.

Zoro's ability to hear the 'Breath of all things'. Doesn't that sound awfully like some deceased Pirate King's ability? In the manga, also on Sabaody Archipelago, when Robin asks about the Poneglyph and how Roger was able to read them, Rayleigh replies with: 'Roger was able to hear the voice of all things'. Now, I'm not sure if this is a real connection, but I'm merely listing the hints for now.


End file.
